NEW YORK — LinkNYC has brought the fastest available Wi-Fi to New York City streets for free, and New Yorkers and visitors have wasted no time taking advantage of the network. Since LinkNYC launched in early 2016, Link Wi-Fi subscribers have already used 1.1 petabytes of data — or as much as $15 million worth of data based on typical mobile carrier pricing.

 As of April 2017, LinkNYC subscribers have used enough data to:

  • Send 37,128,000,000 WhatsApp messages
  • Stream 1,092,000 hours of video
  • Send 10,920,000,000 emails
  • Stream 174,720,000 songs

“If you’re looking for a way to lower your cellular bill, the solution might be literally right around the corner. LinkNYC has provided more than a petabyte of free data, on the largest, fastest free public Wi-Fi network in the world. Whether you’re running up against your monthly data limit, getting throttled for using too much data, visiting New York City and trying to avoid a costly data plan while you’re in town, or if you’re one of the 1 in 5 New Yorkers that does not have access to broadband internet at home — LinkNYC is helping millions of people stay connected,” said Jen Hensley, General Manager of LinkNYC.

“More than a petabyte of data—an extraordinary quantity—has traveled across LinkNYC’s network, showing that the world’s largest, fastest, free municipal wi-fi network is already of tremendous value to New Yorkers and visitors,” said Anne Roest, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications. “This is exactly what LinkNYC was designed for and promised to deliver, and we look forward to seeing even more use of the network as it continues to grow across all five boroughs.”

About LinkNYC

LinkNYC is the first-of-its-kind communications network replacing the city’s payphones to build the world’s fastest and largest free public Wi-Fi network. Since Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the public launch of LinkNYC in early 2016, more than 700 Links are active across all five boroughs, with thousands more set to be deployed over the next few years. 

More than 1.5 million people – more than the populations of the cities of Phoenix, San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle, or Denver – have opted in to use the free gigabit Wi-Fi service, with approximately 40,000 new users joining the network each week.

For more information and to find a Link near you, visit link.nyc.